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>10.6. Shell startup</A
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><P
> When an interactive login shell starts, it automatically
	executes one or more pre-defined files.  Different shells execute
	different files; see the documentation of each shell for further
	information.  </P
><P
> Most shells first run some global file, for example, the
	Bourne shell (<B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>/bin/sh</B
>) and its derivatives
	execute <TT
CLASS="FILENAME"
>/etc/profile</TT
>; in addition,
	they execute <TT
CLASS="FILENAME"
>.profile</TT
> in the user's
	home directory.  <TT
CLASS="FILENAME"
>/etc/profile</TT
> allows the
	system administrator to have set up a common user environment,
	especially by setting the <TT
CLASS="ENVAR"
>PATH</TT
> to include local
	command directories in addition to the normal ones.  On the other
	hand, <TT
CLASS="FILENAME"
>.profile</TT
> allows the user to customise
	the environment to his own tastes by overriding, if necessary,
	the default environment.  </P
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